Account-tabulating machine.



H. A. McSHANOG.

ACCOUNT TABULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. m4.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- H. A. McSHANOG.

ACCOUNT TABULATING MACHINE.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII AR. 9. I914.

1 ,1 85,420. Patented May 30, 1916.

3 SSSSSSSSSSSS 2.

H. A. McSHANOG.

ACCOUNT TABULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. 1914.

1 ,1 85,420. Patented May 30, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Z? Y Z1 z z;

HENRY A. McSHANOG, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

ACCOUNT-TABULATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1916.

Application filed March 9, 1914. Serial No. 823,555.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY A. Mcbrnixoo, a citizen of the United States, reslding at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Account- Tabulating Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a machine for expediting the keeping of accounts contingent with the sale of merchandise, and the primary object of the same is the provision of a device of this nature embodying a desk structure for passage thereover of printed statements, upon which statements the various debits and credits of the account are entered as they are contracted, and a pair of rolls for retaining the statements, adapted for opposite rotation for feeding the continuous strip of statements from one roll to another, thereby facilitating the keeping of the account and eliminating the necessity of ledgers when desired.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a novel mechanism for imparting positive rotation to one of the statement retaining rolls for winding the strips of statements thereon, which mechanism synchronously applies friction brakes to the other roll, upon application of the power transmission engagement with the first roll, to retard the unrolling of the statements therefrom and to insure the proper tension of the strips over the desk.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view this invention consists in such novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the improved machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine, Fig. 3 is a detail view of the roller, for properly tensioning the statement strips, Fig. 4 is a detail view of the mechanism for transmitting the positive rotating power to the statement retaining rollers, and Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the resilient mounting of the roller for adjusting the tension of the statement strips.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 designates the supporting frame of the improved account facilitating machine, as an entirety, which has the laterally projecting desk structure 2 formed thereon. The desk structure 2 has its upper or top surface 3 disposed at an angle to the vertical line of the frame 1, and extending outwardly from the upper terminal ends of the frame 1, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The top of the desk structure 2 is disposed at an incline, so as to facilitate the usage of the same for purposes of writing.

The frame 1 has supports 01' brace rods 4 extending laterally across its ends, near the lower end of the frame 1, which supporting braces have rotatably journaled in bearings formed therein, shafts 5 and 6. The shafts and 6 extend laterally across the frame, and have rotatably mounted thereupon retaining rolls 7 and 8. The retaining rolls 7 and 8 have wound thereabout, in opposite directions, the strips of statements 10. The strips 10 of statements pass upwardly from the roller 8 between the roller tensioning rollers 11 and 12, passing over the roller 12 and downwardly along the face 3 of the desk portion 2, about guide rollers 13, 14 and 15, laterally across the bottom of the desk structure and about a guide roller 16, from whence they extend upwardly passing over the tension roller 17 and then downwardly to the retaining roll 7. The various guiding rolls are rotatably mounted upon shafts, which are carried by either the supporting frame 1 of the machine, orv the frame of the desk structure 2, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The cross braces 4 of the frame 1 have rigidly seated therein the ends of a shaft 20, which shaft extends laterally between the arms 21 and 22 of the frame 23. The shaft 20 has mounted upon its end 24, which projects beyond the outer side of the frame 23, a pulley 25, which pulley is shown in the drawings as having a concaved face for passage thereover of a round belt 26. The round belt 26 also passes about a pulley 27, which has a concaved face, and which is rigidly mounted upon a shaft 28. The shaft 28 is rotatably carried by the upper ends of the arms 21 and 22 of the frame 23, and it has friction rollers 29 and 30 rigidly mounted thereupon and spaced for engagement with the flanges 31 or 32 which are formed upon the ends of the statement retaining rolls 7 and 8.- The friction rollers 29 and 30 are rigidly mounted upon the shaft 28, and are adapted for frictional engagement with the periphery of the flanges 31 and 32 of the statement retaining rolls 7 and 8, at different times, for the purpose of transmitting rotation to one of the rolls, at a time, through the medium of the pulleys 25 and 27, the belt 26 and any suitable source of power which is administered to the shaft 20 through the medium of a pulley 33 mounted thereupon. A second shaft 34 is rigidly carried by the arms 21 and 22 of the frame 23 and it is disposed upon the opposite side of the shaft 20, from the shaft 28, having mounted thereupon brake rollers 35 and 36. The brake rollers are mounted upon the shaft 34 in alinement with the flanges 31 and 32 of the statement retaining rolls 7 and 8 for movement into frictional engagement with the peripher of the flanges 31 or 32, so as to retard the free rotary movement of the rollers, when the statements are being wound therefrom, by the positive rotary motion imparted to the other statement retaining roll.

The lower ends of the arms 21 and 22 are connected by a ballasting rod or roller 37, which is provided for the purpose of properly balancing the frame to permit of the proper movement thereto. The ballasting roller 37 is provided for facilitating the swinging movement of the frame and its weight is not sufficient to move the frame independently of exertion imparted to the frame. The frame 23 is pivotally mounted upon the shaft 20, and it has its arms 21 and 22 disposed exteriorly of the outer sides of the supporting frame 1 of the machine.

The roller 12, is rotatably carried by the upper end of the supporting frame 1 of the machine, and it has a thumb roller 40 mounted upon its outer end, which projects beyond one of the vertical sides of the supporting frame 1. The thumb roller 40 is provided for the manual rotation of the roller 12, for moving the statements a short distance over the face of the desk 2, so as to get the proper statement in a position for entering either a debit or a credit thereon. The strips of statements pass between the rollers 11 and 12 as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and the tension of the strips, passing over the desk and about the various guide rollers is regulated to a cer' tain extent by the adjustment of the roller 11. The roller 11 is mounted upon a shaft 41, which shaft is slidably seated in slots 42 formed in the ends of the supporting frame 1, and by sliding the roller 11 within the slot 42, the distance between the two rollers 11 and 12 may be adjusted, so as to relieve the engagement between the roller 11 and the strips of statements 10, as it passes over the roller 12, for permitting of the free movement of the roller 12 and the passage of the strips 10 thereover.

The frame 1, has pivotally mounted thereon, at 43, the levers 44. The levers 44 are disposed one upon each side of the frame 1, and they have their upper ends engaging the terminal ends of the shaft 41, while their lower ends are pivotally connected at to arms 46. The arms 46 extend laterally along the sides of the frame 1, and have flexible members 47 connected to their free ends. The flexible members 47. are in turn connected to a bar 48, which extends laterally across the supporting frame 1, being ro tatably mounted in one of the side braces of the desk structure 2. The rod 48 has a thumb roller 49 mounted upon its outer end, which projects beyond the side of the frame 1. and by rotation of the rod 48, through the medium of the thumb roller 49, the flexible members 47 are wound about the rod, and thus the lovers 44 are actuated upon their pivotal points 43, causing the upper ends to bear against the shaft 41 and force the same rearwardly in the slots 42. The levers 44, have retractile springs 50 connected to their lower ends, a short distance above the pivotal connections between the arms 46 and levers 44, which springs are in turn connected at 51 to the supporting frame 1 of the machine. The springs 50 are provided for holding the upper ends of the levers 44 out of engagement with the shaft 41, when the flexible members 47 are not wound about the rod 48, and the arms 46 are provided with notches 52, for engagement with the shaft 33, upon which the guide roller 17 is mounted, to prevent the springs from pulling the levers 44 too great a distance rearwardly, the shoulders 55 of the notches engaging the ends of the shaft 33, and holding the levers against the action of the springs 50.

In the operation of the improved machine for facilitating the keeping of accounts contingent upon the sale of merchandise, the strips 10, are wound about the statement retaining rolls 7 and 8, in duplicate, or in other words two strips which are identical, are wound thereabout, the various statements being numerically arranged and positioned so that an exact duplicate will be made of the original statement. Vhen duplicate statements are to be made the original or outer strip of statements has its inner surface coated with carbon which is ordinary in some types of statements. The carbon or duplicate strip of statements is provided for permanent records, when it is desired to send the customers the original statements at predetermined times, at which times the strips of statements are removed from the spools or rollers. In some in stances duplicate statements are not desired, at which time, only one strip of statement is necessary as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. When it is desired to enter an account upon any of the various statements, the statement retainer which has the statement thereon, upon which it is desired to enter the account, rotated, by the moving of the friction rollers 29 and 30 into engagement with the peripheries of the flanges 31 or 32 which are formed upon the ends of the retaining rolls and rotary motion is imparted to the friction rollers 29 and 30 through the medium of the pulleys and the belt, and the source of power supply, which will rotate the statement retaining roll, so as to roll the strips of statements thereupon, and unroll them from the other retaining roll, causing the friction rollers 35 and 36 to engage the periphery of the retaining roll, other than the one with which the rollers 29 and 30 engage, so as to retard the rotary motion of the same, and permit of the desired tension to the strips of statements. Upon positive rotation of one of the state ment retaining rollers, the strip of statements will be wound thereupon, and unwound from the other roll, passing about the various guide rollers carried by the supporting frame 1 and the desk structure 2, passing over the face of the desk structure, so that the various accounts may be entered thereupon. \Vhen the desired statement is properly positioned upon the face of the desk, the motion of the machine is stopped, until the account is entered thereupon, when the machine may be again started, for bringing another statement to the surface of the desk for entrance of an account thereon. When the statement desired is not properly apgsitioned upon the face of the desk, and

slight movement of the same is necessary for properly positioning it upon the face of the desk. the roller 12 is rotated which will move the statement over the face of the desk, a distance necessary for properly positioning the desired statement, for permitting the entering of an account thereon.

The frame 23 being pivotally mounted upon the supporting frame 1 of the machine, the various friction rollers carried thereby, will be at all times in engagement with one or the other of the retaining rolls 7 and 8, and the brake friction rolls 35 and 36 will always be in engagement with the peripheries of the flanges of the roller, opposite to the one with which the power transmission friction rollers 29 and 30 are in engagement, so as to provide for the desired tension to the strips 10 of the statements as they pass over the various rollers and the desk.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation of the improved account tabulating machine will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains and, while in the foregoing description, the principle of the operation of this invention has been described together with various features of construction, it is to be understood that certain minor features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be altered to suit practical conditions provided such alterations are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

hat I claim is:

1. In a device as set forth, a supporting frame, a pair of statement retaining rollers mounted for opposite rotation upon said frame, a desk structure connected to said frame, a strip of statements for passage from one of said rollers over said desk structure to the other of said rollers, a frame pivotally carried by said supporting frame, and having a pair of shafts carried thereby, and disposed upon opposite sides of the pivotal axis of said frame, friction rollers rigidly mounted upon one of said shafts for engagement with one of said statement retaining rollers to impart rotation thereto, brake rollers mounted upon the other of said shafts for engagement with the other of said retaining rollers to retard the rotation thereof, said frame adapted to swing upon its pivotal mounting for moving said friction rollers into engagement with either of said statement retaining rollers.

2. In a device as set forth, a supporting frame, a pair of statement retaining rollers mounted for opposite rotation upon said frame, a desk structure connected to said frame, a strip of statements for passage from one of said rollers over said desk structure to the other of said rollers, a frame pivotally carried by said supporting frame, and having a pair of shafts carried thereby, and disposed upon opposite sides of the pivotal axis of said frame, friction rollers rigidly mounted upon one of said shafts for engagement with one of said statement retaining rollers to impart rotation thereto,

brake rollers mounted upon the other of said with either of said statement retaining shafts for engagement with the other of rollers. 10 said retaining rollers to retard the rotation In testimony whereof I aflix my signature thereof, and manually operated means for in presence of two witnesses.

adjusting the position of said statements HENRY A. MCSHANOG. upon said desk structure, said frame adapted WVitnesses:

to swing upon its pivotal mounting for mov- FRANK WONDERS,

ing said friction rollers into engagement D. ORLOPF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

